‘There are no big or small teams in this format’

With the upcoming edition of Dhaka Premier League set to begin from tomorrow, star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, who will lead Mohammedan Sporting Club this season, is willing to shift focus fully from international cricket to the domestic T20 competition.

The star all-rounder has also chosen to skip the Pakistan Super League despite being snapped up by Lahore Qalandars in last month's auction.

"Obviously our first target will be to gain momentum from the first game and then gradually move forward match by match because it's a long tournament. It will be very important to win the first game because T20 cricket is all about momentum. There are no big or small teams in this format. Whoever plays better cricket will win," Shakib said during the unveiling of Mohammedan's jersey at a city hotel yesterday.

Among others featuring for Mohammedan this season are Taskin Ahmed, Shamsur Rahman, Abu Hider, Abu Jayed and Shuvagata Hom.

In the context of historic sporting rivalries, Shakib was asked whether he is looking forward to the big match against Abahani.

"I am sure all the club officials and fans, not just me, are waiting for the clash against Abahani. We are all excited. But our main goal is to get those two points from each game regardless of the opponent we play," he said.

Shakib also addressed his below-par performances with the bat in the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka, with the left-hander scoring just 19 runs in three games and picking up three wickets.

"You have all witnessed what I did in the series. Obviously it did not go the way I expected but it can happen in cricket. I have to make sure that I don't repeat that again."

The star all-rounder also believed a maiden ODI series win against Sri Lanka was something the Tigers could be proud of.

"It feels good to win a first-ever series against Sri Lanka but it would have been great if we could have won the series 3-0. Having said that, if Sri Lanka also played their best cricket the result would have gone the other way. But overall we all should be proud of the result and should move forward from there," he added.